Sedona Red Rock. This photo shows a view of the handsome red rock of Sedona, Arizona. Iron oxide gives the porous sandstone of Sedona its red color. An excellent explanation of the geological makeup can be found at Sedona.biz. More views of Sedona can be seen here.

Camera: Pentax *istD, Pentax 28-80mm lens.

A Beautiful Day In Sedona. Ah, yes! Puffy white clouds in a powder blue sky, handsome red rock vistas, and sublime weather perfect for exploring. Such is Sedona, Arizona on a memorable day! This photo, captured during one of my many visits to this red rock paradise, is a personal favorite. It reminds me of what I loved most about Arizona. During the years I spent in Phoenix, Sedona was my afternoon retreat. Pack a light lunch, grab the camera, and be in Sedona by early afternoon. Sublime . . .

Camera: Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit lens.

My First Visit To Sedona. This photo was this first shot during my first visit to the red rock paradise, Sedona, Arizona, more than four years ago. This view is on the Bell Rock Pathway. To a city boy from New York where all land is flat, and all dirt is brown, this was indeed a visual revelation. I admittedly did not capture my best photos on this visit because I wanted to photograph everything. My emotions were overwhelmed by the grandeur of this place. If you ever feel that the urban “grind” is sapping your spirit, visit Sedona. You will be recharged.

Camera: Pentax *istD, 28-80mm lens.

Papago Park Hiking Trail. If one photo could represent my fondest memories of Phoenix, Arizona, it is this one: A hiking trail in Papago Park. This red rock park is located in the heart of Phoenix’s urban sprawl. Yet, it feels a hundred miles away. I would often throw my dinner in some Tupperware, and spend an evening just wandering this otherwordly landscape. This scene shows a hiking trail that extends into the red rock buttes of Papago Park. Camera: Rebel XT and kit lens. Converted from raw file using Raw Therapee 3.0 alpha 1 with AMaZE demosaicing.

Photo by Donald Peterson, Newark1 Small Business Web Design

Red Rock & Snow, New Mexico. This photo shows three of my favorite natural elements on a beautiful New Mexico day: Red rock, snow, and a bluer than blue New Mexico sky. This was captured in the Jemez Mountains about 40 minutes outside of Albuquerque (between Albuquerque and Santa Fe) during a typically mild winter day. Camera: Pentax K110D, kit lens.

Jemez Before The Storm. This scene was captured in the Jemez Mountains, on the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. It shows the red rock buttes near the Walatowa Visitors Center as seen during an impending storm. I love storm light for the dramatic mood it can add to a photo. However, being in the mountains with a 6 foot metal tripod fully extended as lightning flashes around you is not a smart idea. Therefore, I was not out photographing for too long here. This was shot with my favorite landscape camera, the humble Nikon D40, and the 18-55mm kit lens.

Jemez, New Mexico. This photo, shot on negative film with my old Minolta SRT-101 more than six years ago, depicts a bit of the quiet beauty that draws me to New Mexico. Captured in the Jemez Mountains, it shows red rock buttes in the Jemez Pueblo near the Walatowa Visitors Center.

The Jemez Mountain Red Rock Buttes in New Mexico are the subject of this photo. Located on the Jemez Pueblo near the Walatowa Visitors Center (along the Jemez Mountain Trail), these handsome buttes were an unending source of fascination to this nature-starved New Yorker. During the time I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I often visited the Jemez Mountains (less than 45 minutes drive from Albuquerque), considering it my personal mountain resort. Hiking or driving through the quietly beautiful Jemez was a source of relaxation and quiet reflection.

The Jemez Pueblo did not allow visitors to enter the red rock buttes area, but of late they have started offering tours. I must return for that. The few photos I’ve seen captured by Jemez photographers show a magnificent photographic subject just beyond that craggy entrance! This photo was captured about 6 years ago with my first DSLR camera, a Samsung GX-1S with kit lens (in camera .jpeg).

If the Sonoran Desert environs of Phoenix, Arizona are blessed with rain during the winter or even an unusual rainstorm in the spring, you will see the results pretty quickly in Papago Park. The normally parched landscape will quickly develop a carpet of fine green cover that fades just as quickly as it appears. It is pretty while it lasts! This photo shows the red rock of Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona covered with an unusual amount of green flora due to unusually heavy late winter rain. While this may look like a wilderness terrain, it is surrounded on all four sides by the urbane suburbs of Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona.

Just look at that . . . Sunset approaches, giving the red sands of Papago Park a warm pinkish cast. Because this is winter in Phoenix, the temperature may be in the mid 70′s, perfect “snow-bird” weather. Look at that gentle sky . . . the soft blues providing a perfect balance to the red rock landscape. Nice, isn’t it? This was my favorite afternoon, after-work getaway. Grab a light dinner, run to Papago for a quick hike, and then watch the light play on the landscape. Granted, this is not the Grand Canyon or Bryce, but it was my slice of southwest open country only minutes from home!

This photo was captured with an Olympus E-300 and kit lens. I converted it from RAW with the superb new Adobe Lightroom version 3. Advanced raw converters like this new release from Adobe provide a good reason to shoot in raw. I find that it is extracting better image quality from my old photos than any raw conversion software that was on the market when I owned this camera two years ago.